How It Happened
by Nicki Monaz
Summary: Garrett's thoughts, narrated by me, when he goes blind. Terrified, he runs, and runs, and runs until he runs into the one person that can help him.


"Fire!" someone yelled.

"The stables are burning!" another screamed.

The young stable boy ran to save the horses. Without the horses, he'd have no job. Mr. William wouldn't give him food and shelter if there were no horses to feed or stalls to clean. With both his parents being dead, that was the only way he survived.

He was scared, but he told himself he had to be brave like King Arthur's knights. It was his dream to be a knight. But, they wouldn't accept a coward as one of them. He had to show them he could be like them. That's why he was so happy Sir Lionel was teaching him about being a knight. He promised he'd be the best knight ever.

The boy threw open the stable doors and jumped out of the way as flames burst out at him. There were others trying to put out the fire with water, but it was no use. The stables would burn to the ground.

But, he had to risk it. The horses would die otherwise.

He ran through the stables, trying to avoid the flames and free the horses. Terrified whinnying and burning heat filled the air along with ash and shouting voices. The wooden support beams started crashing down, one nearly crushing him. The whole thing was collapsing.

The stable boy continued opening every stall door, determined to get the horses out. He set every horse loose, saving their lives. They were frantic, however, running out the doors and over anything in their path. The poor stable boy found himself in the way of one of the terrified horses.

The enormous animal, named Titan, reared up and kicked him in the face. He fell and his vision went blurry.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the blurry spots, but it didn't work. It got worse and all he could see was shapes. The shapes soon faded into only shadows. Then, nothing. His eyesight was completely gone.

The stable boy panicked. He tried to get up and stumbled, but ran as fast as he could away from the burning stables anyway. He tripped and stumbled over things, but got back up and ran after each fall. He had no idea where he was. He was terrified and as frantic as the horses. The boy felt something running down his face. Was it blood? Or maybe tears? Probably both. And, oh, did his head ache.

He kept running until he hit something and bounced off forcefully. An arm reached out and grabbed him, catching him before he fell.

"Garret, what's going on?" a familiar voice asked with worry.

The boy reached out and touched whoever was in front of him, feeling a man's chest covered in the fabric worn by the King's knights.

"Sir Lionel! I-I can't see! Everything's so dark!" Garret was beyond frightened.

"What happened?" Sir Lionel looked at the boy's face. His once green eyes were now a bluish grey.

"There was a fire in the stables. I saved the horses, but one of them kicked me. I can't see anything!" Garrett explained.

"You've gone blind, Garrett." Sir Lionel put his hand on his shoulder.

"Blind! You mean I'll never see anything ever again!?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Garrett." he said sympathetically, "If there was a way to fix it, I would."

"Now, I'll never be a knight!" Garrett despaired, "How can I do anything if I can't see?"

"You can still be a knight. You just have to learn to live without your sight. I'll help you. It will be alright." the knight hugged the boy.

"I can still be a knight if I'm blind?"

"You'll be the first blind knight, I promise. Remember; a knight's strength comes from his heart. You have heart, Garrett. Your days at the Round Table will come."

"Thank you, Sir Lionel." Garrett hugged him and tried to stop sobbing. Knights didn't cry like damsels.

Garrett was afraid of what his new life would be like, of his world being dark forever. But, he trusted Sir Lionel. Without him, Garrett would've never believed he could be a knight.

Sir Lionel had said he would be the first blind knight and Garrett dreamed he would be. With his help, Garrett would be a great knight someday.

He couldn't do it without him.


End file.
